15 March, 2012

Thanks for health and commenting friends!

Thanks everyone for coming over and commenting on yesterday's short post. For a change you collectively wrote more than I did! Yay.

You had some really interesting things to say. I'd just like to assure you that I wasn't feeling insecure at all, just pondering the question. A few of you mentioned that blogs are more fun when people comment. As a blogger, I'd have to agree. There is something strange about putting your thoughts "out there" as a blogger and having no reaction to them . . . though that is often the lot of a writer. I also want to reassure those who don't want to comment until a few days later. I'm totally fine with that. Even if no one else sees it, I will. I get an email every time one of you comments and I love it! The extrovert in me relishes these interactions.

Continuing on today in the theme of thanks. I spent the morning looking after my health.

You see? A picture of health!

One of the advantages of being a missionary, one I'm thankful for, is our regular medicals. It might seem like an imposition, but actually it really does help to keep us healthy. For example, almost every missionary with OMF that I know does regular exercise. We know that when it gets to medical time we'll have to fill in the question about how much exercise we get!

Next week we have our bi-annual medicals and so David and I had blood tests in preparation. Today I collected my test results (we won't dwell on the weirdness of having to go the triage with the nurse checking my blood-pressure, just to get the piece of paper with my results). All normal. No cholesterol, diabetes, anaemia, liver, or other problems. Yay!

I then proceeded to the Osteopath, to whom I've been going due to my persistent headaches. I was able to report to them that I'd hardly had any headaches this week at all. In fact I don't think I'll be going back for a while unless my shoulder/neck tension increases sharply again.

But the amazing thing is the reason why I haven't had headaches this week. I decided last week to give-up coffee and see if that helped my headaches. After coming back from retreat last Friday, that's what I've done. Gradually reducing how much caffeine in my coffee. I wasn't drinking a lot to start with: two half-caffeinated coffees a day, but if I didn't have those I ended up with headaches. However the difference lately is that the headaches have been there whether or not I had the coffee! Probably because I drink so little, it took a long time to figure that that might be the problem. The other reason I delayed was the fear of headaches. But after the last couple of months of headaches, I figured I didn't have much to lose! It is amazing, because I've had hardly any headaches at all as I withdrew the caffeine. Quite the opposite to what I expected. So happy and thankful.

After the Osteopath I went to Curves for a work-out. As I made my way around the circuit I realised how much I had to be thankful for. A clean bill of health from my blood test, physical strength and sufficient money to go to the gym (granted, I couldn't run a marathon, but I'm fit enough to manage my daily schedule), and an acceptable weight. And now, a seeming disappearance of headaches just tops it all off (I know not of tomorrow, but today I can be thankful).

5 comments:

I'm thankful for friends, colleagues and electricity! After 3 hours without electricity at schoo this afternoon, I was very thankful to get home to a cool fan! Hot season without electricity is not fun. I'm also thankful that my students knew I couldn't do anything about it, so didn't winge, but just got on with the business of learning! Thanks Grade 4K.

Yes. The health to do daily things. One of the thoughts that used to run through my head almost every single morning when I woke up was, "Oh no. I just don't want to "do" today at all". It was a very whingey, immature start to my day - frequently. Then one morning into to my head popped, "Oh yes? What about the alternative?" I suddenly remembered that "doing" today was indeed something for which I ought to be thankful! And now that I've gotten a bit older, and have been able to witness friends who really don't have the health to do the daily basics, I am indeed thankful to not only be "doing" today but to be well enough to do my tasks without discomfort.

The tIme now in Tokyo, Japan

About Me

Tokyo, Japan

I'm an Aussie with three boys who's lived in Japan for most of the last 17 years. My husband, David, teaches at an American international school – Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ) in Tokyo. I edit a magazine, manage a blog for OMF Japan, and write freelance articles among many other things. Another label some give us is missionaries. Combine all of this and I find heaps to write about.
I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me here: wendy.marshall04 at gmail.com